


Marry Me

by appending_fic



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Background Relationships, Established Relationship, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Relationship Advice, Spoilers, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-20 14:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14896526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appending_fic/pseuds/appending_fic
Summary: The Krubera's search for a new leader adds some unexpected complications into Aaarrrgghh's life. And ends up with a *very* important question:"If there are two best men, who does that make the best best man?"





	1. Royal Obligations

Eli examined the top book on the pile he'd been working on today. He'd been trying to learn Trollish, but it wasn't exactly a Romance language, so he was struggling. He handed the book out to Aaarrrgghh.

"I give up," he admitted.

Aaarrrgghh sniffed at the book, squinting at the cover. "Troll poetry by Radragora Lumin. Boring. Should throw out."

Eli took the book back and added it to the pile he'd made for troll literature. "I don't think Blinky would like us getting rid of his books."

Aaarrrgghh grunted, a dismissive sound. Eli had been wary being forced into close company with the troll he'd mostly seen hitting things, but had quickly discovered, like he had with Steve, hidden depths. Among other qualities, he'd learned how expressive Aaarrrgghh could be without saying a word.

(The reason for their close proximity was one of necessity. Eli was the only person in Arcadia Oaks - not currently overwhelmed with trying to get dozens of kidnapped children into acceptable homes - with the skills to re-archive Blinky's library. And Aaarrrgghh the only person in Arcadia Oaks - not currently overwhelmed with trying to get dozens of kidnapped children into acceptable homes - who could read Trollish. There had been general agreement that, although the books had originally belonged to Dictatious, Blinky would _not_ appreciate knowing his brother had been let at them again. Plus, though Dictatious was adapting to his new situation, a task involving reading was currently beyond him.)

"Blinky know he has bad taste in poetry." Aaarrrgghh snatched up the book and tossed it into one of the far corners (not as carelessly as he made the throw seem, as the book landed unruffled on the floor). "Keep going."

Eli rolled his eyes and decided not to get in the middle of what could very well be a centuries-long fight over the quality of some dead troll's use of metaphor and meter. The afternoon passed mostly easily; they were making good progress on re-organizing the remnants of Blinky's library, Aaarrrgghh offering insight on the missing parts of the collection they'd have to keep their eyes out for (some were dangerous enough they might make trouble when they turned up).

And then three Krubera trolls showed up. Well, two of them had already been there; there always seemed to be two to four Krubera warriors hanging as close to Aaarrrgghh as others would allow. They tended to leave Eli and Aaarrrgghh alone in the library, but the new arrival had apparently insisted otherwise. Rather than the hulking warrior type, like Aaarrrgghh, they were softer, smaller, like the late Queen Usurna.

"Aarghaumont," the smaller troll started, before launching into a rapid string of Trollish Steve couldn't begin to follow, though he heard the name 'Usurna', that inspired a moment of concern that they were there to drag Aaarrrgghh off.

Aaarrrggh gave an annoyed snort before launching into his own response - still curt, but not nearly as broken as his English speech was. The exchange went on for several minutes before Aaarrrgghh growled and stormed back down to the remains of Blinky's living quarters, which they still hadn't gotten around to rebuilding.

Eli gave the other Krubera a cautious wave, hoping they weren't upset enough to get violent at the nearest person. "Um?' He realized, with a flare of panic, that he didn't know if they spoke English. "Is. Everything. Okay?"

"Not even remotely," the smaller troll said in a gravelly voice. "We need a return to _tradition_ ; we allowed Queen Usurna her little quirks because she was, after all, queen, but such departures were _clearly_ a sign of her allegiance to Gunmar and Morgana. King Aarghaumont, however, is being unreasonably _stubborn_."

Eli was opening his mouth, ready to argue against tradition for tradition's sake, when he realized what the troll had just said.

" _King_?"

And Eli had apparently gotten used to reading troll expressions, because the faint shadow on the troll's forehead was as clear as a scowl. "Of course. Aarghaumont is a hero. He has survived Creeper Sun, and discovered Queen Usurna's treachery against our people."

"Did you _ask_ him if he wanted to be king?"

"Of course not!" The trolled pulled himself up to a height that, despite being six inches taller than Eli, still looked small. "He has a _duty_ to his people-"

"Look, how about-" Eli glanced back toward where Aaarrrgghh had stormed off to, and back to the person he was already thinking of as an 'elder' troll. "I talk to him? Me and him - we're pretty close." This was a blatant lie, but keeping Aaarrrggh from having to argue with his...subjects was first priority.

Down below in what had once been Blinky's quarters, Aaarrrgghh was stomping in tight circles, grumbling in Trollish. He lifted his head when he (presumably) smelled Eli, grinning.

"Elijah!"

"Um, I was talking to that old dude up there-"

"Scerara."

"Scerara. And he said you were king of the Krubera?"

"Yes. Krubera think Aaarrrgghh will be good king."

"Do you...want to be king?"

Aaarrrgghh shrugged, but his expression shifted, less happy now. "Being king okay. But Scerara wants Aaarrrgghh to get married."

Eli grimaced; he couldn't imagine having to marry some girl he'd never met just to make some old dude happy. "I'm sure they'd let you find someone you liked-"

"Aaarrrgghh already like someone. But don't want to propose to Blinky because Scerara say so."

"Well that makes sense-" Eli clearly needed to raise his blood sugar or something, because he kept missing important parts of sentences before he responded. "Propose to _Blinky_?"

"Who else?" Aaarrrgghh retorted. "Blinky dating Aaarrrgghh for…" He paused, tapping at his fingers as if to count. "One hundred, two hundred years. Long enough to think about marriage, but not because someone else say so." He crossed his arms, face shifting to a more recognizable scowl. "Wanted a magical evening, perfect night. Show Blinky how special he is. Not say, 'Krubera king now, need a consort'. No romance, like Radragora."

"Um…" There was a lot to unpack here, leaving Eli grasping for something to say in response. Saying he hadn't known Aaarrrgghh was gay probably wasn't helpful. Neither was commenting he hadn't known he and Blinky were dating. So that left…

"You don't _have_ to be king of the Krubera."

Aaarrrgghh perked his head up, squinting at Eli. "What?"

"No one can _make_ you do the job. Can they?" Aaarrrgghh thought a moment before shaking his head. "Then don't take it."

Aaarrrgghh was quiet a moment before he nodded. But he was still...tense, or something. Eli waited patiently; you couldn't force Aaarrrgghh to voice a thought before he was ready.

"Want to be king. Fix what Usurna broke. Want to marry Blinky. Make Blinky know he's important." He nodded decisively.

"Well, then there doesn't seem to be a problem." Aaarrrgghh squinted at Eli, clearly confused. "I mean, you can ask Blinky to marry you, and if you want to, you can be king afterward. Obviously, you can't be king _without_ getting married, but you can get married and still tell them you don't want to be king."

"And anyway," he added, when Aaarrrgghh didn't seem convinced, "if _my_ boyfriend were living hundreds of miles away, I'd like a reminder he still liked me."

Eli realized, only when Aaarrrgghh's face slumped into an almost stricken expression, that his word choice had been poor.

"You think Blinky...not think I love him?"

"No no no no no," Eli said hurriedly, waving his hands at Aaarrrgghh to keep his attention. "Two hundred years, I bet he knows you do. I just meant - living far away, it's nice having a reminder."

"Hm," Aaarrrgghh replied. He didn't look upset anymore, but didn't exactly look happy. Eli couldn't place that expression, but if he had to guess, he'd call it...thoughtful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got FANART! See [here](https://quietpagan.tumblr.com/post/175055576610/idea-from-the-appendingfic-story-marry-me-on-ao3) for a lovely pic made for this chapter.


	2. Traditional

"Wingman!"

Toby yelped, his phone slipping from his fingers and bouncing onto the floor. Aaarrrgghh stood framed in Toby's doorway, hands folded in front of him.

"Hey, Wingman." Toby reached out a fist, which Aaarrrgghh bumped obligingly. "What's up?"

"Need Wingman," Aaarrrgghh said, shuffling from one foot to another. "Important."

"Of course." Toby waved Aaarrrgghh over to his bed, where Aaarrrgghh sat heavily. "What's up?"

Aaarrrgghh glanced down, drumming his fingers along his thigh. "Blinky Aaarrrgghh's boyfriend for...a long time."

"Yeah, we've been through this when we talked about _letting your wingman know when you need privacy_ ," Toby said, but put a hand up on Aaarrrgghh's shoulder, because he seemed nervous. 

"Thinking want to ask Blinky...to get married."

Toby felt a bright, giddy energy in his chest. He may have squealed, a little, because his Wingman was going to _propose_. "You're gonna have a _wedding_? I get to be best man! Wait - you're both dudes, does that mean there are two best men? Who does that make the best best man?"

Aaarrrgghh huffed, reaching out to pull Toby flush against his side. "No wedding yet. Haven't asked."

"Well, yeah, dude, but Blinky's gonna say yes. What troll wouldn't want to marry a guy like you?"

Aaarrrgghh ducked his head away, ears twitching, probably the closest thing to a blush Toby had seen on him. "Blinky not just any troll. Deserves something special."

Toby didn't mean to snort; it wasn't polite, helpful, or needed. But _still_. "Aaarrrgghh, buddy. I've never steered you wrong, right?"

"Right."

"And I've been a good wingman."

"Yes."

"So trust me when I say Blinky thinks you - you're the _best_. If you gave up and just got him a - I don't know - bouquet and said, 'Blinky, should marry me', he'd be one hundred percent on board. Probably think it was sweet how direct you were."

"Trolls not make big deal about weddings," Aaarrrgghh said, sounding a little mournful. "No one _ever_ make big deal about Blinky. They should." He set his jaw with a decisive nod.

"So…" Toby _thought_ he knew where Aaarrrgghh was going with this, but Aaarrrgghh had surprised him before, so he tried not to assume.

"Blinky likes human things. Cars. TVs. Kisses."

"Yesssss?" Toby could feel the energy dancing under his skin, because this was _clearly_ going where he thought it was.

"Want to do this human way, from start to finish. Big proposal. Big wedding. Make a _big deal_."

Toby couldn't keep the grin from his face, because if they were doing this big the whole way along, that was a _plan_. "Aaarrrgghh, my man, it's a good thing you came to me about this."

Toby pointed out quickly that Blinky would probably want some involvement in deciding what his wedding would be like (would likely have strong opinions born of a combination of trollish sensibilities and an idiosyncratic understanding of human customs). He _did_ take note of the things that Aaarrrgghh perked up at seeing, because those would be important later.

What was important right now was the proposal. Which had to be big, but _not_ public. Toby did not honestly know how Blinky would feel about a public proposal, but _no one_ needed to hear Blinky's long-winded analysis of the situation, and he was certain Blinky and Aaarrrgghh would appreciate the privacy, for, you know...afterwards (Toby had not walked in on anything graphic, ever, but he didn't need to think about _any_ of his friends' sex lives).

As a result, Toby shot down several ideas that required involvement from other people. While Toby was still certain they didn't need anything, you know, _big_ , the fact that Aaarrrgghh _did_ meant he had to question how 'big' any idea was.

"Wait. Trolls don't do engagement rings, do they?"

Aaarrrgghh shook his head. "No. But had a...thought." His skin actually darkened a shade, ears flicking back. Toby sat up a little straighter, because while Aaarrrgghh could be _bashful_ about public displays of affection, whether physical or verbal, Toby'd never seen him embarrassed.

"We're a safe place, here, Wingman. No judgment. Just two bros discussing their relationships like a mature troll and alllllmost adult human."

"Know...trolls don't have wedding rings, but...Blinky should have something so can remember Aaarrrgghh even when far away."

Which...yeah, they weren't sure how long New Trollmarket needed Jim and Blinky in New Jersey, and while Toby was certain Blinky wasn't exactly going to forget about Aaarrrgghh, an actual token Blinky could look at any time would help keep him grounded. "That is a pretty awesome idea. I'm thinking we try Etsy for this."

Toby didn't know what god was looking out for Aaarrrgghh, but an hour of searching found a jade and obsidian bracelet with marking along it almost exactly like those on Aaarrrgghh's arms. Given the maker would happily craft a larger size, Toby took the opportunity to send a picture of the actual markings so they could get it _perfect_. Which from the grin on Aaarrrgghh's face when they got the confirmation, was the right choice.

And all they had to do after that was plan the perfect proposal.


	3. The Proposal

"This is an inordinate number of blindfolds, my old friend. It hardly seems necessary."

"It's a _surprise_ ," Aaarrrgghh said primly, which was apparently the last word on the subject. It wasn't as if Blinky was worried; Aaarrrgghh had a careful hand on Blinky's shoulder and another on his waist, forestalling any potential injury. It was definitely odd, though. They were back in Arcadia for a few days, at most, but had been back no more than an hour before Aaarrrgghh dragged Blinky away from the Trollhunters' impromptu reunion and covered his eyes _quite_ thoroughly before leading him...somewhere. It was _definitely_ somewhere, he'd bet his left bottom arm on it.

To think on it, no one else had seemed surprised that Aaarrrgghh was dragging Blinky off. Of course, they may have expected the two to want some time alone; he was pretty certain no one was _unaware_ of the nature of their relationship. The fact that young Master Elijah _had_ been unaware until Aaarrrgghh told him had made an amusing anecdote, but it also meant that Steven certainly knew, on top of the other trolls, Claire, and, of course, Toby. Still. Aaarrrgghh and Blinky were adults, and could be expected to make their own time rather than abandoning friends.

Something was definitely going on.

"We're here."

Blinky reached up to pull away the blindfolds, only for Aaarrrgghh to catch his hands and tug them away himself. When Blinky could see again, Aaarrrgghh looked...nervous. Bashful, the skin on his face a little darker than usual.

And yet they were hardly anywhere unusual. They were just outside the library, which Blinky had been to briefly before they'd left for New Jersey. It had been somewhat sad, then, although according to Aaarrrgghh, Elijah had been helping to restore it to its former glory. "Have you finished with the library?"

Aaarrgghh shrugged. "Some books are still missing. Eli is very small."

"Then get his tall friend to help," Blinky retorted. He was halfway to making a plan, spinning off a dozen suggestions, when he remembered the point of the original question. " _Why_ are we _here_?"

"It's a surprise," Aaarrrgghh repeated, gently, taking the sting out of the feeling that Blinky was missing something unaccountably obvious. Aaarrrgghh put a hand on the small of Blinky's back and nudged him forward; Blinky, still a little behind what was going on, stumbled, only for Aaarrrgghh's other hand there to catch him.

As it had been for _many_ years.

That was the worst part about New Jersey, really, the feeling of being off-balance. Blinky wasn't clumsy, exactly, but he'd gotten used to his safety net, and its absence was noticeable. On bad days, he felt like Dictatious, stumbling about helplessly because he'd lost something fundamental to the way he navigated the world.

Blinky could get along quite well without his sight, because unlike his traitorous snake of a brother, he had support (and Aaarrrgghh's voice, rough and deep, but so gentle if not roused to anger, was a balm to his soul; if Blinky lost his sight and never experienced another book except through Aaarrrgghh reading to him, he wouldn't be perturbed). It was clear, however, he couldn't get along without his dear friend Aaarrrgghh.

After that momentary hiccup, Blinky followed Aaarrrgghh's guidance back into his library, which-

Well, it wasn't quite put back together yet; Elijah's friend was the athletic type and would be a useful second pair of hands to help Aaarrrgghh restore the building.

But that thought was followed quickly by-

Something like amazement. Mindful of the inflammability of the books, Aaarrrgghh had not set candles about the main room. He had, however, filled jars with sprites, particularly inoffensive creatures that were happy to spend most of an evening bumping into glass. They were like multicolored stars, dots of light dancing across the stacks of books and restocked shelves. It took almost all of Blinky's self-control not to immediately examine them to assess the reconstruction effort.

It was clear Aaarrrgghh had not brought Blinky here to read; the lighting was poor enough it would be difficult, even if it were not for the...obvious romanticism of the scene.

So Blinky turned, slowly, taking in the lights, set seemingly at random, though Aaarrrgghh often proved to have put more thought into the things he did than casual observation might suggest. The pattern of the candles did not reveal itself to casual observation, and Aaarrrgghh's careful stance - not exactly tense, but expectant - made further examination ill-advised.

"What brought this on, old friend?"

Aaarrrgghh smiled, slow and sweet. "I _missed_ you."

"And you felt the florid poetry you favor was not adequate expression of that? Or the, ahem, _enthusiasm_ you demonstrated when you first saw me?" It was good most of the observers to their reunion were human (or at least part); trolls tended to make pointed comments when they witnessed kissing.

Aaarrrgghh shook his head, his smile almost...smug. But he didn't reply. 

Blinky felt a little surge of excitement. Aaarrrgghh wasn't an enigma, usually, but he'd laid out a mystery here, something Blinky wasn't quite getting. "This is a lot to go through just because you miss me."

"I don't _like_ missing you," Aaarrrgghh grumbled, his usual way of perfectly encapsulating an emotion in a simple statement of fact.

"Well, it is a sad aspect of our reality until we get New Jersey properly settled. There was some excitement when the community nearest to New Trollmarket decided Master Jim was something called the Jersey Devil, you know-"

Blinky paused, suddenly aware he'd been rambling, interrupting whatever moment Aaarrrgghh had been trying to craft. "I'm sorry, you wanted this to be a nice moment, and here I am going on about Trollhunter business-"

"Listening to you _is_ nice."

That shut Blinky up more effectively than _telling_ him to be quiet would have. Certainly, Aaarrrgghh wouldn't have stuck around this long if he couldn't put up with Blinky's tendency to, what had Merlin said, 'use ten words when one would do', would he? (Though between Blinky and Aaarrrgghh, who used one word when ten would do, they probably averaged out to normal)

But it was different hearing Aaarrrgghh say he _liked_ listening to Blinky ramble on.

"As usual, you outstrip my ramblings with your talent for romance."

"Better than Radragora Lumin?"

Blinky laughed. "Worlds better. Now come on, Aaarrrgghh, what's this all about?"

"Ah." Aaarrrgghh produced a small box - black felt, dwarfed by his hands. Something about it seemed familiar, or something that should have made clear what Aaarrrgghh was planning, but then Aaarrrgghh was speaking, and missing a word from Aaarrrgghh was like missing a whole sentence from someone else.

"I had a...proposal."

"Well, go ahead, I'm all ears."

Aaarrrgghh grunted, and held out the box. "A _proposal_ , Blinky." He pressed it into Blinky's hands.

Blinky flipped open the box absent mindedly as he replied, "Yes, and I'm eager to know exactly what...you're…"

The circumstances, Aaarrrgghh's careful wording, and now, the bracelet, sitting in the velvet box in his hands, fell together in a single moment of clarity. It wasn't a ring, but the band, jade inlaid with patterns that mirrored the markings on Aaarrrgghh's flesh, was… _proprietary_. If it wasn't a _marriage_ proposal, it was laying a claim, regardless.

"What do you say?"

Blinky looked up, and, well, there was _no_ chance this wasn't a marriage proposal, because Aaarrrgghh looked _nervous_ , an expression he hadn't directed toward Blinky since when Blinky had first been saddled with showing this rebel Gumm-Gumm how to live like a civilized troll who hardly ever ate anyone, and definitely not on purpose.

"Oh, you're a foolish troll if you think I'd say anything other than yes, my dear, dear friend. If you want to marry me, I'd like nothing better."

And then Blinky was swept up in Aaarrrgghh's arms, the larger troll pressing his forehead against Blinky's, a delicate touch of flesh against flesh that was, while not necessarily more intimate or pleasant than kisses, was more familiar, instinctive; Blinky reached up to hold Aaarrrgghh's head against his, smiling. He couldn't quite describe the feeling in his breast - something leaping, soaring, or fluttering. Happiness, he was certain, but something anxious, as well. Whatever it was, it was _wonderful_.

And Aaarrrgghh, because he could not be shown up by Blinky in an exchange of their affections, smiled back. "Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All dialogue in this chapter is in Trollish, as there's no reason for them to be speaking English when it's just the two of them. My headcanon makes Aaarrrgghh more articulate in his native tongue, but hardly more talkative.
> 
> EDIT: Also now there is FANART!!!!!! [Picture of the proposal](https://lafakiwi-draws.tumblr.com/post/175217119843/if-you-want-to-marry-me-id-like-nothing).


	4. War Council

Blinky looked between Toby and Eli, his gaze darting, briefly, to Steve, who was playing Pokemon on Eli's 3DS off to the side. Blinky had stacked several dozen books, fifty or so DVDs, and probably a hundred wedding magazines, on the desk Eli and Aaarrrgghh (fine, _Steve_ and Aaarrrgghh...mostly Aaarrrgghh) had lugged down here to replace the furniture lost to the war.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."

"Well, no." Blinky, who had been adapting well to human technology, especially the technology that made it easier to keep in touch with people who lived hundreds of miles away, had sent a group text to the trollhunters, family members, and assorted hangers-on, a three-page essay whose basic thrust had been that he was marrying Aaarrrgghh. "Actually, I _am_ a little curious. Why _us_?"

"I have been studying numerous depictions of human weddings, and I have a number of questions," Blinky responded. "Toby, of course, has volunteered his services as a general consultant. _You_ , Elijah, have a grounding in both human and troll culture I thought might prove beneficial. Steven, I presume, came with you."

"Well, bring on the questions, dude!"

"The first relates to the dress code. One of the participants is generally shown clothed in a very...fluffy ensemble, and it's imperative we know who that's supposed to be; there are _very_ different challenges in the execution depending on whether Aaarrrgghh or I will be wearing it."

"The _girl_ wears the dress," Steve called out. "And I'm pretty sure neither of you are a girl."

"No, that's true." Blinky was frowning at the magazines, the books, and began flipping through them rapidly. "Then what are the sartorial requirements for two gentlemen who are getting married?"

"There aren't any _requirements_ for what to wear when two guys get married," Eli offered. "To be honest, the stuff you've got probably won't help much for a wedding with two guys."

"You can see if the guys from Queer Eye would help us out," Steve called, apparently having decided to contribute.

"Don't they usually help out straight dudes, not like, gay trolls?" Toby mused.

"Also, we are _trying_ to keep the existence of trolls a secret," Eli added. "Remember?"

Steve glanced up from his game, brow furrowed. "Come on, we can pretend Aaarrrgghh's - I don't know - _foreign_."

And Toby was looking thoughtful. _Blinky_ , who had _four arms_ and couldn't pass off as human, no matter _what_ nationality, didn't dismiss it out of hand. "Guys," Eli said, and when no one looked in his direction, " _guys_ ," he repeated. "Can we please agree no one is letting a cable television camera crew near the wedding?"

"Oh! Yes, certainly. Not that your idea didn't have merit, Steven, but Elijah is correct that it would draw an unacceptable amount of attention to our people's existence. This is vexing, though. I had thought I had made a thorough review of human wedding customs, only to find I have overlooked the traditions most relevant to our nuptials."

"Dude. Whoa." Steve rocked up to his feet, hands out. "You are taking this _way_ too seriously."

Blinky narrowed four of his eyes at Steve. "Aaarrrgghh has made his feelings on this event perfectly clear, Steven, that it is meant to be a demonstration, a _celebration_ , and I will not disappoint him by treating it cavalierly."

Steve flushed, but didn't back down. "Look, I'm not saying it's not _important_. Just, nobody pays attention to all that 'traditional' cr - crud nowadays. It's _your_ wedding. You can wear whatever you _want_ , and can have Not Enrique be the flower girl. All that stuff - it's not for telling you how you _have_ to do things, but to give you _ideas_."

Blinky...well, blinked, in quick succession. "Oh. Well, that is cogent and thoughtful advice, Steven. Thank you."

Eli gave Steve a sidelong glance, to which Steve ducked his head. "Mom and Coach Laurence have been...talking. There's been a lot of these books around the house."

And it occurred to Eli he hadn't dragged Steve along with him; they _had_ been hanging out at Eli's place when Eli got the call from Blinky. But Steve, on learning Eli was going to be wedding planning, had, instead of using the opportunity to excuse himself, tagged along. He'd been insistent he wasn't looking at any color swatches or choosing flowers, but he'd come _knowing_ the entire point of this endeavor was wedding planning.

Eli looked over at Steve, who was looking back at the 3DS but not pressing any buttons, his ears still slightly pink. "Maybe...you can help Blinky figure out what to do with all this? _I_ don't have any experience planning weddings."

Steve shrugged. "I mean, if they're _desperate_. But like I told Pepperbuddy here, I'm _not_ looking at color swatches, and I'm _not_ picking flowers."

Blinky squinted at Steve. "You mean for appetizers, or…"

Steve snickered. He dragged his chair next to Eli's, slinging his arm around Eli's shoulders, and handed over the 3DS.

"I got you a bunch of Eevee in case the wedding talk bores you."

The first half hour didn't, but there was a point where talking about the minutiae of the wedding stopped being something new and just was like listening to his mom talk about chores. And it wasn't like Steve had strong opinions about invitation fonts, but he was getting into talking to Blinky about it and… _gently_ shutting Toby up when he started getting overwhelmed listing options. They went on another hour before Blinky dismissed them to give him time to do more research, Toby back toward his house and Steve and Eli on Steve's Vespa.

"You really got into that whole wedding planning thing, didn't you?"

Steve shrugged, tense, before his posture eased slightly. A few months ago, even, he might have snapped at the implication he was _interested_ in anything like wedding planning. "It's just planning an awesome party, even if there's a lot of frilly dresses."

"...Do you think one of them's going to end up wearing a dress?"

Steve snorted. "I doubt it. Blinky was _pissed_ when he found out none of the magazines had advice for two guys getting married."

"Was he?" He'd seemed...well, perturbed.

"Yeah, I bet no one in the whole wedding's gonna have a dress, out of _spite_." Steve pulled up at Eli's house, half-turned to him, still sort of smiling. "Anyway, this has been fun, but how about next time we don't spend the whole day debating color schemes?"

"Sure." 

"Good. It's a date. See ya, Pepperbuddy." Steve was off, gone, before Eli could formulate a coherent thought, much less respond. He stood there a moment before shaking his head; all the wedding talk was probably making him read too much into stuff. 

The alternative was...well, wasn't.


	5. Mission Statement

Blinky paced his room in tight circles - one of the many unfortunate quirks of New Trollmarket was the crowding, which left Blinky with very little room to dwell in. It was a small blessing that Aaarrrgghh also wasn't here, for the crowding (it was actually terrible; if Aaarrrgghh were here, Blinky would at least have somewhere comfortable to _sit_ ). He was on the phone with Aaarrrgghh, which made things a little better.

"Holding our nuptials in New Jersey is quite out of the question. It would be quite a trek for our human friends, and the ambience lacks the particular charm of Arcadia Oaks."

"The Krubera suggested the Deep Caverns."

"...I hope you told them no. I doubt _I_ could handle going that deep, and that's not even considering the humans." Aaarrrgghh hummed agreeably. "I wish we could hold the ceremony in Trollmarket." Well, they _could_ , but they'd both agreed the dead Heartstone and remnants of the battles that had taken place there would put a pall over the proceedings. "I wish there were a way to get married somewhere that feels like home, but it seems that is a dream that will ever elude us."

Aaarrrgghh grunted. _Thoughtfully_.

"Aaarrrgghh?"

"I have...an idea."

"Would you be willing to elucidate?"

"...No. It might not work."

Blinky sighed, heart fluttering a little. It was sweet, how Aaarrrgghh tried to keep him from disappointment. "Well, if your heart's set on that, old friend, who am I to judge? Moving on...have you changed your mind about Dictatious?"

"Family should come," Aaarrrgghh said firmly, as he had the last six times this topic had come up.

"Well, yes," Blinky allowed. "But there's family, then there's _Dictatious_..."

"You love him."

Blinky sighed. Aaarrrgghh was _right_ , as unpalatable as the thought was, though it was made better coming from his betrothed than from Master Jim and Claire, both of whom insisted Blinky's continued 'obsession' over their 'differences' ( _betrayal_ ) was unhealthy.

"I suppose I can't stay mad at him forever. Well, I could, but I don't want to. And I _suppose_ letting him off the hook after a year isn't much different from letting go after a century or two."

"Good."

"But don't think you've won just because you're right and got your way." Blinky huffed, sank down onto his bed. "I don't suppose there's anything else we need to talk about, is there?"

"I love you."

"Well." That phrase hadn't lost its particular thrill over the years. "It is, as always, a delight to hear, but I _did_ mean about the wedding." There was no response, and there was something in the air in New Jersey or something, or he was _pining_ for the lack of his betrothed, because it took several moments to figure out the problem. "Of _course_ I love you too, my friend."

Aaarrrgghh rumbled, pleased.

" _Anyway_ , was there anything else we needed to talk about for the wedding?"

"Food."

"Of course! Master Jim has been doing some wonders out here - quite ruining some of us on the basic troll diet. I've tried to dissuade him from wearing himself out for us, but he is _quite_ insistent, and Claire is helping, of course. We _may_ be able to talk him out of doing the human food, as well, if you can find a decent caterer who won't 'freak out' over the existence of trolls."

"He wants to do it. For you."

"Us, I would think," Blinky corrected. "Well, as long as he doesn't work himself into a stupor, it should be fine." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Aaarrrgghh? You haven't fallen asleep, have you?"

"No. I was thinking."

"About what, pray tell?"

"Wedding."

"Yes, that was what I was doing-"

"Planning the wedding. Not _thinking_ about it."

"Thinking about-"

"About the _wedding_. The…" Aaarrrgghh paused, struggling for a word that didn't quite have a proper place in Trollish. " _Married life_."

"...Oh." It was strange; Blinky hadn't really thought about what being married would be like. The question had arisen and the answer had presented itself quite naturally. "I must admit it hasn't occurred to me to think about it. Or...rather, how it might be different from how things have been."

"Need to spend time in the Deep Caverns."

"Ah." In all the fuss over the wedding, Blinky had forgotten what had precipitated the conversation, that there was a very good chance Aaarrrgghh would be coronated-

"Are we inviting any of the Krubera to the wedding?"

"Blinky." Aaarrrgghh didn't yell, didn't chide, but that quiet repetition of his name was enough to make him take notice.

"I think everyone's...settling here. I should be able to return to Arcadia soon. Or…" Blinky suddenly wasn't certain what Aaarrrgghh expected. "Did you want to come here, instead?"

"I want...somewhere to come home to."

Obviously, lacking any details, the statement wasn't a _solution_. But as a...mission statement, it was perfect.


	6. Joining In

The...well, it couldn't be called a bachelor party, because everyone was here together, and no one had made any mention of troll strippers, so...early wedding party, was in full swing. Eli didn't know most of the dozen or so full trolls Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had seen fit to invite to the pre-party, and felt awkward around the adult humans, and even worse around the changelings (all two of them).

He'd sort of settled by the bar, nursing his third cup of soda, when something started looming. He glanced up, finding Steve leaning over him, plastic cup held loosely in one hand.

"Heyyyyyy, Pepperbuddy, how you doing?"

Eli shrugged, looking around the restaurant they'd taken over for the event. "Not my kind of thing."

"Yeah, pretty low-key. I think Blinky said Aaarrrgghh's supposed to stay away from the glug until after the ceremony."

Eli snorted, because Steve was good at catching sports balls, but was pretty good at missing the point. Trollish culture and history was still fascinating, but now that Eli had grown to see trolls as people instead of creepers, they were just as intimidating as humans. "Yeah, but everyone's just hanging around. I don't know what to _say_ to anybody."

Steve took a chug at his drink and grinned at Eli. "You're doing well over here."

"Yeah, but you're not-"

"Anybody?" Steve asked, smirking. "I'm _hurt_."

"You know what I mean," Eli grumbled, face flushing. "It's _easy_ to talk to you. You don't mind if I babble on about creepers or aliens or even Pokemon-"

"I like that cat wrestler," Steve replied. "Especially when he body slams other Pokemon."

Eli giggled, a little hysterically, because there was a time trying to talk about Incineroar around Steve would have gotten him a beating. Steve ducked down, smile fading a little.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Eli waved away Steve's concern. And in fact, he _was_ fine; Steve was good at getting Eli out of his own head.

"Do you know what this party needs? Some dancing."

Eli snorted. "There's like twenty people here, and most of them are, like, _adults_."

"So? Come on, _we_ could dance."

"What? Steve, I can't-"

"Can't what? _Dance_? You've got _moves_ , Pepperbuddy. I bet you could _shake it_."

"Shake _what_?" Steve _waggled his eyebrows_ , which was more than enough to make him blush _again_. "I'm not going to shake my… _butt_ in front of everyone!"

"So where _do_ you shake your butt?"

Eli glared at Steve and tugged his cup over, sniffing at it.

Steve gave Eli a curious look. "What are you doing?"

"I was making sure no one gave you alcohol, because you're acting _weird_ , Steve."

Steve snorted and pulled his cup back. "I'm _fine_." He took a long drink and when he lowered his cup he was smiling again. "Come on, aren't weddings supposed to make people think about shit?"

"I…people think about _marriage_ , not their friends' _butts_."

Steve shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm seventeen, dude; I'm not _thinking_ about marriage." There was a pause there, when a reasonable person would have added...Eli didn't even know. Something to make it not weird that Steve had been talking about Eli's butt.

Shouldn't there be a 'no homo' in there, or did guys just assume that now?

"Holy - Domzalski brought a _karaoke machine_! Come on, Pepperjack, we got duets to sing!"

The karaoke machine _did_ improve things; there was an activity so Eli didn't have to worry about standing around not being interesting, and he and Steve rocked 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', which left him flying high, showing off in front of everybody.

He was laughing as he dragged Steve to the bar, getting a fourth soda as Steve got some sort of sports drink before heading outside where he'd seen a patio that proved to be deserted.

Steve shoved him, a gentle push that made Eli stumble a step sideways, feeling a little...tipsy, even though all he'd had was sugar and caffeine and an epic karaoke battle. Steve caught Eli and settled them both against the fence at the far end of the patio. He was grinning at Eli. 

"So...evening still sucking?"

"Of course not."

"Cool." Steve fell back, let things go quiet for a moment. Eli'd panicked about that, early on, when Steve didn't have anything to say. But it didn't mean Steve was _bored_. "We should go to the wedding."

"We _are_ going to the wedding. I RSVP'ed weeks ago. Did you not?"

"Yeah, sure. I meant we should go together."

"Do you want my mom to pick you up or-" Steve squeezed Eli's hand and his thoughts skipped. "Oh. Um." He was _almost_ certain he knew what Steve was talking about, but Eli had grown up in an environment where asking a football player if he was asking you out wasn't...good.

"Soo...whaddya think?"

"I think…" Eli sighed. "What do you mean… _together_?"

"I don't know - hang out, sit together, maybe shake it on the dance floor..."

"And?"

Eli turned to Steve, hoping, praying Steve could see that there was no world where Eli could ask the question he wanted answered, not with their friendship, with their history.

Steve let out his breath in a woosh, biting at his lip. And then he squared his shoulders, chin set like he was about to face down a vicious creeper. "And maybe find a dark corner to make out in. Y'know, if that's cool with you. If you don't want to that's cool too," he continued in a rush. "Like, I think making out would be awesome, because it's, you know, _us_ , but if you're not down with it-"

"We could...make out _now_ \- to see if we like it."

Steve's face morphed into a wide grin before it shifted, slowly, to something - well, an expression Eli had never seen before.

"You see, this is why I gotta share my ideas with you, Pepperbuddy - you always got some angle to make them better."


	7. I Do

Aaarrrgghh knew he was squeezing Blinky's hand a little too hard, but his hand wouldn't loosen of its own accord. He glanced over at Blinky, who was staring at the platform they'd set at the far end of the room, where Sharaugot, the Krubera elder they'd had to let run the ceremony, was standing (Aaarrrgghh had made clear this _wasn't_ his coronation. He hadn't even told them he was going to take the job yet. This was Blinky's - and his - wedding. But Krubera were notoriously stubborn and unmovable, so they'd relented in letting one officiate).

The room was - basically the event hall at the community center. But their decorating team had done wonders. They'd found a whole stock of curtains - brown and grey - hung about the hall, blocking the windows to give it a closed-in feel, and a stony appearance. Multicolored light bulbs set behind crystals, some even glass, scavenged from local shops and people's own homes, helped the illusion of being - well, not in Trollmarket, but somewhere underground. The fact that it didn't quite look like anywhere Aaarrrgghh had been actually made it feel like they were somewhere ephemeral, a place created just for this moment.

Their rehearsal dinner had been small, mostly intimate, but the hall was crowded. Aaarrrgghh might not have officially agreed, but everyone _knew_ he was next monarch of the Krubera, and Blinky was more or less still the leader of New Trollmarket. Which meant everyone who could wrangle being there was here. Wumpa was here, Gatto was here, dozens of trolls who thought they were important enough to be here. Aaarrrgghh had stayed out of it, mostly, after ensuring his friends would be invited.

The strains of a lilting piece of music that had entranced Blinky filled the hall, and then Blinky looked up at Aaarrrgghh, eyes a little wide, though he was smiling.

"Are you ready, old friend?"

"Always," Aaarrrgghh replied, because as nervous as he was, Blinky was there with him. And then they were walking side by side up the aisle, between the rows of seats. _Everyone_ was watching them, which was sort of the point, Aaarrrgghh presumed, but it was still unnerving. But he supposed if he was going to be a king of anybody, he would have to get used to it. And besides, he couldn't embarrass Blinky by looking like he was scared.

It didn't take more than a few moments to reach the platform, to climb up to join Sharaugot, and turn so they could be seen by the audience. But focused just on the feet of Blinky's hand in his, Aaarrrgghh couldn't have said much more about it.

"Ahem," Sharaugot said, drawing Aaarrrgghh's attention to where it probably should for the next few minutes, at least. "This is a moment trolls do not often share with others; the choice to join their lives together. But Blinkous Galadrigal and Aarghaumont, in the traditions of our Trollhunter's people, our allies and friends, have decided to gather their friends together to witness their union.

"The life of a troll may be long, and so the decision to bind that life to another is a weighty one. It requires a bond that has weathered good and bad times, times of joy and sorrow, agreements and arguments, to know that it cannot be weakened by what may yet come. There is no doubt that Blinkous and Aarghaumont have, in their time, had that relationship tested by every imaginable strain. 

"Now, as is customary among humans, each will speak a few moments on the other."

Sharaugot looked to Blinky, first, who tugged his hand from Aaarrrgghh's and took a step back, smiling as he looked up at Aaarrrgghh.

"Aaarrrgghh, my dear friend. I thought some time on what to say, and my first draft was...substantially longer. But I thought to emulate you, and provide something more...concise. That we are even friends, is a blessing from whatever power watches over us. That you have seen fit to grace me with your affection, and trust, is a constant wonder to me. Your friendship is...almost the greatest treasure I possess, second only to your love. Know that I hope my love for you is a tenth of what I know you feel for me, that what we have experienced together will bind us tight as we look to the future, together."

Aaarrrggh sniffed and wiped at his eyes; of course Blinky was effusive, eager, to express his affection for Aaarrrgghh, but rarely did he have a chance to speak so long on the subject (it was hard to let Blinky go on too long when he would say something sweet and then Aaarrrgghh needed to touch him, hold him...kiss him. He took a moment trying to remember how they'd settled on the question of kissing at the ceremony. Humans expected it, but there'd been a debate about whether they should risk the trolls' sensibilities by doing so. He was just going to have to follow Blinky's lead).

Blinky seemed to be done (he _had_ been concise), so Aaarrrgghh took a deep breath, trying to arrange what he'd meant to say in his head. He looked down at Blinky, whose eyes were fixed on his, eagerly, expectant, happy.

"Blinky. Remember when we...weren't friends. _Becoming_ friends. Blinky was patient, and kind. _Smart_. Believed in me. Let me be...who I wanted to be." Blinky had refused to let Vendel force Aaarrrgghh to fight for them, saying if Aaarrrgghh was through fighting, it was as bad as Gunmar to make him. It wasn't the moment he'd fallen for Blinky, but it had been the moment that had made Aaarrrgghh certain they were friends, which was nearly as important. "And what I want to be is Blinky's husband."

And Blinky wasn't _sobbing_ , but all six eyes were teary, and he was clearly...twitchy. Aaarrrgghh glanced at Sharaugot, trying to remember how much longer this was supposed to take, because he wasn't certain how long Blinky could refrain from just throwing himself at Aaarrrgghh.

"With those words guiding us, we will move to the exchanging of vows - the vows of our people, traded between those who have chosen to devote themselves to each other. Blinkous Galadrigal, do you wish to join yourself to Aarghaumont, to share his burdens and multiply his joys, to make two lives one?"

"With all my heart," Blinky said fervently.

"And Aarghaumont, do you wish to join yourself to Blinkous Galadrigal, to share his burdens and multiply his joys, to make two lives one?"

"Yes."

"By our customs, through this exchange of vows, you are married, which means, our human friends, this ceremony is at its end-"

The humans (well, Toby, mostly) whooped, and Blinky leapt at Aaarrrgghh, who caught him as Blinky wrapped his arms partway around Aaarrrgghh's chest; they had, it seemed, agreed not to kiss, so Aaarrrgghh embraced Blinky gently, holding him close for a few moments before Sharaugot coughed quietly, and Aaarrrgghh set Blinky down, though their hands were intertwined again, and Aaarrrgghh resolved not to let go for the rest of the evening.

"Come on, let's get this party started!" Toby shouted, and quickly, as if by magic (or perhaps Aaarrrgghh were merely distracted), there were tables set about the hall, leaving half of it clear - mostly, except for Toby's friend Krel, who was setting up his music. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had their own table, where Jim delivered them their dinner, which yes, had progressed beyond cats and socks. No one complained to Aaarrrgghh, so he supposed everyone was enjoying whatever meal, human or troll, they got.

Of course, he wasn't strictly paying attention; _Blinky_ was there, after all. Blinky himself seemed dazed, rarely speaking, but holding onto Aaarrrgghh's hand as tightly as he could, which was a little odd, because Aaarrrgghh had just declared in front of everyone who was anyone in trollkind that he wasn't going anywhere.

But he could eat just as well one-handed, and it was an easy way to keep track of Blinky, so Aaarrrgghh just squeezed Blinky's hand when he remembered to notice it, which got him a brilliant smile each time.

_Someone_ (Aaarrrgghh's money was on Toby, because it was a very _human_ thing to do) started tapping on their glass; Blinky flushed and ducked his head, which Aaarrrgghh saw Stricklander and Nomura roll their eyes, whispering to the nearest trolls. Aaarrrgghh, who had watched the movies Blinky had secured for understanding human weddings, and had _wanted_ to kiss Blinky, grinned and ducked in to kiss his husband, earning a cheer from the human children, at least.

But most of what Aaarrrgghh remembered was the thrill of sitting next to Blinky, hands held tight together, everyone around them knowing what they were to each other, which was _married_.

And yes they were still trying to figure out living arrangements, given the amount of time they might be required to be on different _strata_ , much less the same _state_ , but _they would be dealing with that problem together_.

Also it was now very much a matter of public record that messing with Blinky meant you were messing with Aaarrrgghh's husband, which seemed an excellent way to keep people from doing so.

Of course, all those were just a host of little things, because the important part was they were married.

The party was winding down when Blinky nudged Aaarrrgghh. "And what are you thinking so hard about, old friend?"

" _Husband_ ," Aaarrrgghh corrected; Blinky flushed before his face shifted to a wide smile. "Just...happy."

"Me too, old - my husband." Blinky leaned in against him, watching the dance floor, where trolls and humans alike were jamming to Krel's excellent DJ'ing. "How about we take our leave?"

Aaarrrgghh swept Blinky up in his arms and stood. "Yes." It had been a nice day, and the party was great, but yes, he felt like spending time alone with his husband. Which was a thing he could _do_ , now. 

There were other questions, other plans to be made, but it was Aaarrrgghh's wedding night so those could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd that's it. Thanks for sticking with me, hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
